Thick brioche soaked in ube custard, topped with mascarpone cream, dusted with ube powder and drenched in sweet ube milk. A warm tiramisu remix. Shipped wo...
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April 20, 2026 · Recipe
Ube French Toast Tiramisu Style: Brioche, Mascarpone & Purple Yam
Thick caramelized brioche soaked in a deep purple ube custard, crowned with airy mascarpone whipped cream, dusted with pure ube powder and finished with a generous pour of sweet ube milk. A warm tiramisu, redesigned as breakfast.
This recipe takes the architecture of a classic Italian tiramisu (cream, dust, contrast) and rebuilds it on top of a French toast made with brioche soaked in a custard built around our pure Ube Nolia powder. The result is somewhere between a Parisian café breakfast and a Filipino dessert. Works just as well with plant-based milk (oat, almond, soy) if you prefer a dairy-free soak and topping.
Every layer is built for contrast: hot crisp brioche, ice-cold mascarpone, fine ube powder dusting, and a final ube milk pour that drips like a glaze. It is the most photogenic French toast you will ever make and it tastes exactly like the best tiramisu you have ever had.
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Quick answer
Ube French toast tiramisu is a thick slice of brioche soaked in a vanilla-ube custard (milk, egg, sugar, real ube powder), pan-fried in butter until caramelized, then topped with piped mascarpone whipped cream, dusted with pure ube powder like cocoa, and finished with a sweet ube milk pour. 15 min prep, 8 min cook, serves 2. Ube Nolia sells 100% pure ube powder from Dagupan and Urdaneta in the Philippines, with no coloring, additives or added sugar: one 100 g pouch makes 33 ube lattes.
Key Takeaways
•Tiramisu architecture: cream, dust, contrast, but warm and on brioche
•Real ube powder in the soak, the dusting and the topping for layered flavor
•Mascarpone whipped cream piped like a tiramisu finish, not a generic whipped topping
•Sweet ube milk pour for the dramatic purple drip and final flavor punch
•Naturally purple from pure ube powder, no artificial dye, no extract
•Slightly stale thick-cut brioche is the secret to perfect texture
Looking for ube powder? Ube Nolia sells 100% pure ube from the Philippines, with no coloring, no additives and no added sugar.
New to purple yam? Read our complete guide: What is ube? - origin, taste, benefits and how to use Ube Nolia ube powder.
Why Ube and Tiramisu Are a Perfect Match
Tiramisu works because of three contrasts: the bitterness of cocoa against the sweetness of mascarpone, the moist soaked sponge against the airy cream, and the cold serving temperature against the rich fat. Ube fits this exact framework: its natural vanilla-biscuit flavor replaces the cocoa-coffee axis with a smoother, more aromatic profile.
Mascarpone is naturally creamy with a subtle tang that balances ube's sweetness perfectly. The deep purple of pure ube powder dusted over white cream gives the same visual drama as cocoa on a tiramisu, but with a more striking, modern aesthetic.
By turning the soaked sponge into a hot French toast, you add a fourth contrast: temperature. Hot brioche under cold mascarpone, with the cream slowly starting to melt at the edges, is what makes this recipe so addictive.
Ube French Toast Tiramisu Ingredients
Ube French Toast Tiramisu - Serves 2
For the brioche & ube soak:
• 2 thick slices of brioche (3 cm, slightly stale)
Brioche: Use a thick-cut, slightly stale brioche (one day old). The crumb must be soft enough to absorb the ube custard but firm enough to hold its shape during pan-frying.
Ube powder: Use 100% pure ube powder from Dioscorea alata for both color and authentic vanilla-biscuit flavor. No extract, no dye.
Mascarpone: Must be cold and full-fat. Italian mascarpone gives the right tang and density.
Heavy cream: 35% fat minimum, very cold, for stable whipped peaks.
Whole milk: Full fat is essential for the soak and the topping. Plant-based versions work perfectly if you prefer dairy-free: oat milk is our top pick (creamiest result), soy and almond also work. For a fully vegan version, swap mascarpone + cream for whipped coconut cream and use a flax egg in the soak.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Soak the Brioche in Ube Custard
In a shallow dish (the size of your brioche slices), whisk together the milk, egg, sugar, ube powder and vanilla extract until smooth and a deep, even purple. No clumps. Submerge each brioche slice and let it soak for 60 to 90 seconds per side until saturated but still hold its shape when lifted.
💡 Pro Tip: If your brioche is very fresh, toast it lightly in the oven for 5 minutes at 150°C first. This dries it slightly so it absorbs the soak without disintegrating.
Step 2: Pan-Fry the French Toast
Melt the butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat. When it foams, place the soaked brioche slices in the pan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until the surface is a deep caramelized purple-brown, crisp outside and custardy inside. Do not rush, the slow caramelization is what gives the French toast its tiramisu sponge feel.
Step 3: Whip the Mascarpone Cream and Pipe
In a cold bowl, whisk together the cold mascarpone, cold heavy cream, icing sugar and vanilla. Start slow, then increase speed until you reach soft, holding peaks. Do not over-whip or the mascarpone will split. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe generous parallel ribbons across the top of the warm French toast, exactly like a piped tiramisu finish.
💡 Pro Tip: Keep the cream cold until the very last moment. The contrast between hot brioche and cold cream is the heart of this recipe.
Step 4: Dust Generously with Pure Ube Powder
Using a fine sieve, dust pure ube powder generously over the mascarpone cream, exactly the way cocoa is dusted over a classic tiramisu. The fine purple powder catches in the ridges of the piped cream and creates the signature contrast: white cream, deep purple ube. Do not be shy, a thick dusting is what gives the dish its identity.
Step 5: Pour the Sweet Ube Milk Topping
In a small saucepan, gently warm the milk with the ube powder and sugar, whisking constantly for about 2 minutes until smooth and slightly thickened, like a thin custard. Pour it generously over the dusted mascarpone right before serving. The hot ube milk slowly drips down the cream, glazes the brioche edges and creates the signature dramatic finish.
💡 Pro Tip: Pour at the table for maximum effect. The ube milk drip is the moment the whole dish comes alive, both visually and in flavor.
Tips for Perfect Ube French Toast Tiramisu
Use slightly stale brioche: One-day-old brioche absorbs the soak perfectly without falling apart. Fresh brioche turns to mush.
Whisk the soak smooth: Always sift the ube powder into the milk-egg mixture to avoid clumps and ensure an even purple color.
Medium heat, never high: The brioche needs to caramelize slowly so the inside cooks through before the outside burns.
Cream must be cold: Cold mascarpone, cold cream, cold bowl. This is the only way to get stable, pipeable peaks.
Dust at the last second: Ube powder absorbs moisture from the cream. Dust just before serving so it stays fine and dramatic.
Pour the ube milk warm, not hot: Too hot and the cream collapses. Aim for body-temperature warm, like latte milk.
Variations and Make-Ahead Guide
Vegan version: Oat milk for the soak, silken tofu instead of egg, whipped coconut cream instead of mascarpone, oat milk ube topping. Same architecture, fully plant-based.
Boozy tiramisu version: Add 1 tbsp of marsala or amaretto to the mascarpone cream for an adults-only dessert version.
Mascarpone cream: Can be made up to 24h in advance, kept covered in the fridge. Re-whip gently before piping.
Sweet ube milk: Can be made the day before. Reheat gently and whisk before pouring.
French toast itself: Must be cooked à la minute. Do not pre-cook and reheat, the texture is lost.
Single-portion plating: Use one slice per person and stack two with cream in between for a true tiramisu architecture.
Why Use Real Ube Powder for This Recipe
The whole recipe relies on layering ube three times: in the custard soak, dusted on the cream, and warmed into the milk pour. Artificial ube extracts and food coloring give a flat, candy-like flavor that completely misses the point. Pure ube powder (from Dioscorea alata, Philippine purple yam) gives:
Natural deep purple color from anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants
Authentic flavor with notes of vanilla, toasted biscuit and white chocolate, the perfect tiramisu profile
Nutritional value: fiber, manganese, iron and antioxidants
Clean label: no artificial dyes, no flavorings, just pure ube
Ube, known botanically as Dioscorea alata, is a vibrant purple yam indigenous to the Philippines. Its name, 'ube', is derived from the Tagalog word for yam. The striking deep purple hue of ube comes from naturally occurring anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants. UBE NOLIA ube powder, sourced from Dagupan and Urdaneta in the Philippines, imparts a distinct biscuit and vanilla flavour profile to dishes like this Ube French Toast Tiramisu Style, offering a unique taste experience without being overly sweet. Beyond its flavour, ube is a good source of dietary fibre, supporting healthy digestion.
The culinary journey of ube in the Philippines is deeply intertwined with its history. The Spanish colonial era introduced new culinary techniques, leading to the creation of dishes like jalea de ube (ube jam), a precursor to many modern ube desserts. The 20th century saw the integration of condensed and evaporated milk into Filipino cuisine, further enriching ube preparations. Ube is a staple in iconic Filipino desserts such as halo-halo and sapin-sapin. Today, ube has transcended its traditional roots, gaining global recognition and inspiring innovative fusions like this French-Filipino Ube French Toast Tiramisu Style, showcasing its versatility and unique appeal.
Botanical Name
Dioscorea alata
Primary Flavour Notes
Biscuit & Vanilla
Origin
Philippines (Dagupan, Urdaneta)
Nutritional Benefit
Good source of fibre
Troubleshooting Your Ube French Toast Tiramisu Style
Problem
Cause
Fix
French toast is soggy or falls apart.
Brioche was soaked for too long or was too fresh.
Use slightly stale brioche. Soak each side for maximum 90 seconds. Ensure brioche is thick cut (3 cm).
Mascarpone cream is runny or curdled.
Ingredients were not cold enough or overwhipped.
Ensure mascarpone and heavy cream are very cold. Whisk only until soft peaks form, then stop.
Ube milk topping is lumpy or too thin.
Ube powder not fully dissolved or insufficient heating.
Whisk ube powder into milk thoroughly before heating. Gently warm and whisk until smooth and slightly thickened.
French toast crust is not crisp.
Pan was not hot enough or too much butter.
Ensure pan is medium-hot before adding toast. Use just enough butter to coat the pan, not pool.
15+ Ways to Use UBE NOLIA Ube Powder
Sweet Breakfast & Brunch Creations 🥞
Infuse pancake or waffle batter with ube for a vibrant morning treat.
Swirl into oatmeal or chia pudding for a nutritious, colourful start.
Blend into smoothies with banana and coconut milk for a tropical twist.
Create Ube Crêpes, filled with cream cheese or fruit.
Baked Goods & Desserts 🍯
Bake into cookies, muffins, or cupcakes for a unique biscuit and vanilla flavour.
Prepare Ube Crinkles, a classic Filipino cookie, with a rich purple hue.
Use as a natural colouring and flavouring for bread, like Ube Pandesal.
Craft Ube Cheesecake or incorporate into pie fillings for a distinctive dessert.
Creamy & Frozen Delights 🍨
Churn into homemade ice cream or gelato for a refreshing, creamy indulgence.
Mix into yogurt or whipped cream for a simple, elegant topping.
Develop Ube Panna Cotta or custards with a smooth, delicate texture.
Create Ube Milkshakes, blending with milk and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Innovative Culinary Pairings 🍲
Incorporate into savoury dishes, such as purple yam gnocchi or purées.
Develop unique sauces or glazes for poultry or pork, balancing sweet and savoury.
Experiment with cocktails or mocktails, adding a hint of colour and biscuit & vanilla notes.
Use as a natural food colouring in pasta dough or rice dishes for visual appeal.
